Double Murder Near Fort Pierce, Florida Has Strange Connection to Miami and Broward

Travis Lattimore, 21, and Sharpkina Woods, 35, were last seen alive at a barbecue in Broward County on Saturday night. However, by Sunday, they were both found shot to death in an SUV parked behind an abandoned home just outside Fort Pierce, Florida. Like many double homicides, this case has its own set of bizarre facts.

First, an autopsy revealed that Woods was four months pregnant at the time of her death. According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, an additional charge of homicide will not be brought for the death of the unborn fetus. This decision is based on the fact that the fetus was under 26 weeks old at the time it was killed. This is interesting because there is a lot of legal debate about when and under what circumstances a murder charge may be brought for causing the intentional death of an unborn fetus.

In a second twist, Lattimore, the other murder victim, was wanted in connection with a murder that occurred last week in Miami-Dade County. While the details of his connection to that murder are not known at this time, it is possible that he was killed as a retribution. Or, in the alternative, it would not be unheard of for him to be killed by a co-conspirator afraid that he might talk to police.

All of this is speculation, but creates a number of interesting investigatory leads for police and defense lawyers alike. However, before any concrete conclusions may be drawn as to motive and who was responsible, the police will have to conduct a rather lengthy investigation into the victim’s backgrounds as well as evaluate any worthwhile forensic evidence uncovered at the scene of the shooting.